Entering the 2024 NFL draft, there were few teams with as much excitement surrounding them as the New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers was set to return from his Achilles injury, playoff aspirations were high, and the Jets had no major holes on the team (at least, on the surface). So when the Jets moved up in the third round to select wide receiver Malachi Corley, expectations were high for the Jets’ new playmaker, and rightfully so.
The Jets loved Corley as a prospect. New York’s official X account shared pre-draft texts between Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas in which they agreed to get Corley “no matter what.” Reports emerged after the draft that Corley was the fourth-ranked wide receiver on New York’s big board. Aaron Rodgers even claimed that Corley was his “favorite” receiver prospect in the class.
New York moved up seven selections to take the Western Kentucky product. To some, it looked like a perfect selection in this Jets offense. In fact, there were already articles celebrating the “success” Corley found with New York… in May.
Some were pessimistic about the selection of the “next Deebo Samuel” due to his prospect profile, while others claimed Corley was much more than his “YAC King” nickname suggested. Regardless, he was now a Jet, and with the capital used, expectations were high.
Summer hype, Fall fallout
To start training camp, it appeared that Corley would carve out a role as a regular contributor on the offense. His route tree was limited, but he kept making plays that weren’t YAC-related. Corley would gain separation, but showed a prowess for making incredible catches, too.
When playing alongside Rodgers and the rest of the starters, Corley looked the part of a solid rookie draft pick. The acrobatic catches were nice, but he was gaining separation, and making plays in the red zone, too.
However, then-head coach Robert Saleh all but extinguished the summer hype train, exclaiming that the rookie had “a long way to go” as a route-runner in the NFL. Despite that, fans expected to see their rookie wide receiver involved in the offense to begin the season.
A healthy scratch
It’s safe to say that this season has not gone the way that Corley expected when he was drafted by the Jets.
Through the first 10 weeks, Corley played a total of 35 snaps and was a healthy scratch in four games. When he finally got involved in Week 10 against the Houston Texans, a bone-headed (but forgivable) mistake all but sent him back to the doghouse.
Offensive coordinator Todd Downing called the mistake a “hard lesson to learn” for the rookie.
Over the following three games, Corley played 69 snaps, including a season-high 41 in Week 13. He was barely involved, though, recording five targets and one rush attempt over those three games. Then, with the return of Allen Lazard in Week 14, Corley was a healthy scratch once again.
Easing rookies into playing time has been the modus operandi of this coaching staff. However, for a team that dealt with injuries at the position and a lack of playmakers (prior to the Davante Adams trade), it made no sense as to why he wasn’t seeing the field. And it begs the question: why did the Jets draft Corley in the first place?
Another Day 2 bust?
Statistically, poor-performing rookie wide receivers almost never become impact players in the NFL. And unless a miracle occurs, Corley seems to be headed down that path with the Jets. It’s a situation that even the rookie was not expecting.
“It doesn’t make anyone happy, that’s it,” Corley told The Post after Thursday’s practice. “I can’t let exterior circumstances predicate how I go about my business,” Corley said. “Just staying ready for when my opportunity comes. Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Just every day attacking it like I am the guy, like I am the starter.”
The bigger picture paints a more ominous problem for the Jets: they have not selected a reliable wide receiver on Day 2 of the draft since Laveranues Coles in 2000.
Corley’s lack of success this year isn’t all his fault – outside of the touchback against the Texans. He has not been given enough opportunities to prove himself. However, it’s hard to say where he goes from here.
With a new coach coming in this offseason, the 22-year-old may find himself on the outside looking in. After all, a Day 2 wide receiver being a healthy scratch for nearly half the season doesn’t exactly emit confidence.
Considering the early success of players taken after Corley, it doesn’t bode well for him going forward. While nothing is set in stone, why New York selected Corley to watch him waste away on the bench remains one of the bigger mysteries around this 2024 Jets team.
